Wireless monitoring of safety helmets

ABSTRACT

Remote monitoring of a subject wearing a sports helmet is enabled. In one aspect, an example system includes a safety helmet and a sensor integrated with the helmet for continuously gathering head acceleration force data, the head acceleration force data associated with the head movements of a subject. The system can also include a wireless transceiver coupled to the sensor for transmitting the head acceleration force data and a mobile device for receiving the head acceleration force data from the wireless transceiver. The system can further include a database engine for displaying the head acceleration force data to a user.

CROSS REFERENCE

This patent application is a continuation of, and claims priority to,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/691,162, filed on Apr. 20, 2015, andentitled “WIRELESS MONITORING OF SAFETY HELMETS”, which is acontinuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/010,353, filed on Jan. 20, 2011, and entitled “WIRELESSMONITORING OF SAFETY HELMETS” (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,035,776). Theentireties of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated byreference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to wireless monitoring of safetyhelmets.

BACKGROUND

Personal alarm systems are well known in the art. Some of these systemsare used to maintain surveillance of children. They may also be used tomonitor the safety of employees involved in dangerous work at remotelocations or to monitor the safety of physically or mentally handicappedpeople. They may even be used to find lost or stolen vehicles andstrayed pets.

Every year, thousands of children and adults suffer injuries duringvarious recreational and athletic activities. These injuries occurmostly during recreational activities, although injuries can also occurduring training or during various national and internationalcompetitions. For example, one of the most frequently occurring injuriesin gymnastics is due to falls or improper landing after dismount fromthe parallel bars, high bars or rings. Most injuries occur duringpractice, even though in these situations mats with various thicknessand degree of softness, depending on the characteristics of the gymnastand his/her degree of expertise and the type of exercise to beperformed, are commonly placed in the landing area to absorb the shockduring landing or in case of a fall. The most dangerous fall is where anathlete falls on his/her head. Such falls can cause serious spinalinjury and may even be fatal. Falls on the shoulder, side or the backare less dangerous, but may cause serious soft tissue damage and/or bonefracture or joint dislocation. Uncontrollable foot landing is usuallyleast dangerous, with the most probable short-term injuries being thoseof the knee or ankle due to twisting of the foot and/or the knee joints.However, with the current mats in use, particularly with the stiffermats used while practicing dismount and landing and in competitions, thehigh level of repetitive impact loading of the limbs, particularly thefoot, ankle and the knee joints, and even the spinal structure can causeserious long-term medical problems.

Additionally, the increasing awareness of head injuries has also becomemore widely known in recent years. Although helmets are worn, especiallyby young children, during many of these activities, helmets do notalways protect against all of the different head traumas, especiallyinjuries associated with rapid acceleration of the helmet wearer's head.

Existing monitoring systems use radio technology to link a remotetransmitting unit with a base receiving and monitoring station. Theremote unit is usually equipped with one or more hazard sensors and isworn or attached to the person or thing to be monitored. When a hazardis detected, the remote unit transmits to the receiving base stationwhere an operator can take appropriate action in responding to thehazard.

The use of personal alarm systems to monitor the activities of childrenhas become increasingly popular. A caretaker attaches a small remoteunit, no larger than a personal pager, to an outer garment of a smallchild. If the child wanders off or is confronted with a detectablehazard, the caretaker is immediately notified and can come to thechild's aid. In at least one interesting application, a remote unitincludes a receiver and an audible alarm which can be activated by asmall hand-held transmitter. The alarm is attached to a small child. Ifthe child wanders away in a large crowd, such as in a department store,the caretaker actives the audible alarm which then emits a sequence of“beeps” useful in locating the child in the same way one finds a car ata parking lot through the use of an auto alarm system.

There is a trade-off between constant monitoring of children'sactivities and the risk of injuries or endangerment to the welfare ofthe children. Childhood activities like biking, skateboarding, horsebackriding, and skiing, for example, are formative for physical developmentand competitive spirit, however they carry some risk of injury,particularly head injuries. The CDC reported that in 2008 there weremore than a quarter of a million bicycle injuries for children 19 oryounger with most injuries in the 5-14 year range. Thus, helmets arerequired or strongly encouraged when participating in such activities.Moreover, children benefit in terms of independence and self-reliancewhen forming groups with others of the same age. Hence, there is a needto encourage children to engage in unsupervised activities, while alsoenabling immediate response in the event of an accident or emergency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various non-limiting embodiments are further described with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic illustrating a safety helmet accordingto exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic illustrating an operating environmentaccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic illustrating an operating environmentaccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic illustrating a mobile device accordingto exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic illustrating an operating environmentaccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic illustrating a biometric sensoraccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic illustrating a database engineaccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic illustrating a database engineaccording to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the example steps according toexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the example steps according toexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the example steps according toexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example network device that can be utilized toimplement one or more of the various aspects described herein; and

FIG. 13 illustrates an example computing architecture that is operableto execute various aspects described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

Today, most children wear helmets when biking and also carry a cellphone. Hence, in accordance with the disclosed subject matter, parentsor caregivers can virtually “watch at a distance”, and in particular bealerted immediately in the event of an accident.

Considering the importance of child safety, there are many systems aimedat child safety, such as what are known as toddler telemetry systems.However, there remains room for improvement with these systems. One sucharea for improvement relates to increasing the useful life of a batteryused to power the remote unit of these toddler telemetry systems.

Another room for improvement in the area of children's safety remainsthe risk of head injuries. It is known that the human body's ability totolerate increases in cranial pressure above the static pressure dependson (1) the rate of pressure increase; (2) the peak value (i.e.,magnitude) of the pressure increase; and (3) the duration of thepressure increase. In general, slow increases in pressure are toleratedwell, even for long durations. However, serious injury can occur whenthe pressure rises rapidly (microseconds or less), as in an accident.The sudden increase (rapid rise time) in pressure that exceeds thestatic pressure, especially one that is induced by an accident, iscalled overpressure. The pressure eventually returns to the static valuelong after the accident has passed.

In general, the greater the magnitude of the overpressure and the longerthe duration of the overpressure, the more severe the biological damagedue to the accident. One common form of measuring the rapid accelerationor deceleration of a subject is “G's” which is defined as a unit ofacceleration equal to the acceleration of gravity at the earth'ssurface. For example, a few G's experienced for a few milliseconds isknown to cause severe biological damage. The severity of the problem iscompounded because simulations have shown that even small overpressureswith rapid rise times can produce significant flexure in the skull whichcan generate large pressure gradients in the brain. The presentdisclosure addresses this and other problems.

Additionally, the use of wireless communication devices have become soprevalent in today's society that almost everyone uses a cell phone orother wireless communication device for communication with one another.As people become more confident with the use of these wirelesscommunication devices and the services they provide, the use of wireddevices, such as a wired telephone at home, have become less importantin day-to-day life. The result of this change in behavior has led manypeople to discontinue their wired communication service and relyentirely on their wireless communication device. In some circumstances,such as those living on the fringe of service or living in largemulti-unit complexes, the marginal signal strength in these locationsmakes relying entirely on a wireless service a somewhat riskyproposition.

The above-described deficiencies of today's safety monitoring ofchildren while the children are engaged in various activities are merelyintended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventionalsystems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with thestate of the art and corresponding benefits of one or more of thevarious non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon reviewof the following detailed description.

The disclosure describes embodiments for monitoring and tracking the useof safety helmets. In one aspect, such embodiments can include a systemfor remote tracking of head injuries, comprising: a safety helmet; atleast one sensor integrated with the safety helmet for substantiallycontinuously gathering head acceleration force data, the headacceleration force data associated with the head movements of a subject;a wireless transceiver coupled to the at least one sensor fortransmitting the head acceleration force data; a mobile device forreceiving the head acceleration force data from the wirelesstransceiver; and a database engine for displaying the head accelerationforce data to a user's sports activities.

In another aspect, such embodiments can include a method for monitoringsports activities, comprising: continuously gathering biometric datafrom a subject performing a sports activity, the biometric dataassociated with the body movements of the subject; transmitting thebiometric data at a transceiver; receiving the biometric data at adatabase engine; and providing real-time feedback associated with thebiometric data from the subject, the real-time feedback characterized byinstructions associated with the sports activity.

In yet another aspect, such embodiments can include a method for remotetracking of head injuries, comprising: substantially continuouslygathering head acceleration force data at a sensor, the sensorintegrated with a safety helmet; transmitting the head accelerationforce data at a transceiver to a database engine; receiving the headacceleration force data at a mobile device; and providing real-timefeedback associated with the head acceleration force data from thesubject from a database engine integrated with the mobile device.

In one aspect, such embodiments can include a system for wirelessmonitoring of safety helmets worn by children, comprising: a databaseengine for receiving head acceleration force data from a wirelesstransceiver and providing real-time feedback, wherein the databaseengine is coupled to a wireless transceiver via at least one wirelesscommunication network, and wherein the wireless transceiver is coupledto at least one sensor for substantially continuously gathering the headacceleration force data from a child; wherein the real-time feedbackassociated with the head acceleration force data from the child, andwherein if the head acceleration force data exceeds a threshold, thedata is displayed at a mobile device associated with the databaseengine.

Remote Tracking of Head Injuries

One or more embodiments are now described with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to likeelements throughout. In the following description, for purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the various embodiments. It may be evident,however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without thesespecific details, e.g., without applying to any particular networkedenvironment or standard. In other instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitatedescribing the embodiments in additional detail.

As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,”“engine,” “interface,” “platform,” “station,” “framework,” “connector,”or the like are generally intended to refer to a computer-relatedentity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software,software, or software in execution or an entity related to anoperational machine with one or more specific functionalities. Forexample, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a processrunning on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a threadof execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, bothan application running on a controller and the controller can be acomponent. One or more components may reside within a process and/orthread of execution and a component may be localized on one computerand/or distributed between two or more computers. As another example, aninterface can include I/O components as well as associated processor,application, and/or API components.

Further, the various embodiments can be implemented as a method,apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and/orengineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or anycombination thereof to control a computer to implement the disclosedsubject matter. The term “article of manufacture” as used herein isintended to encompass a computer program accessible from anycomputer-readable device, carrier, or media. For example, computerreadable media can include but are not limited to magnetic storagedevices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips . . . ), opticaldisks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) . . . ),smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, key drive . .. ). Additionally it should be appreciated that a carrier wave can beemployed to carry computer-readable electronic data such as those usedin transmitting and receiving electronic mail or in accessing a networksuch as the Internet or a local area network (LAN). Of course, thoseskilled in the art will recognize many modifications can be made to thisconfiguration without departing from the scope or spirit of the variousembodiments.

In addition, the words “exemplary” and “example” are used herein to meanserving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or designdescribed herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use ofthe word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concretefashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to meanan inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unlessspecified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” isintended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, ifX employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs Aor B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition,the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appendedclaims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unlessspecified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singularform.

Moreover, terms like “user equipment,” “mobile station,” “mobile,”subscriber station,” “access terminal,” “terminal,” “handset,” “enddevice,” “mobile device,” and similar terminology, refer to a wirelessdevice utilized by a subscriber or user of a wireless communicationservice to receive or convey data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming,or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream. The foregoingterms are utilized interchangeably in the subject specification andrelated drawings. Likewise, the terms “base station,” “Node B,” “evolvedNode B,” “home Node B (HNB),” and the like, are utilized interchangeablyin the subject application, and refer to a wireless network component orappliance that serves and receives data, control, voice, video, sound,gaming, or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream from a setof subscriber stations. Data and signaling streams can be packetized orframe-based flows.

Furthermore, the terms “child,” “children,” “parent,” “caregiver,”“user,” “subscriber,” “customer,” and the like are employedinterchangeably throughout the subject specification, unless contextwarrants particular distinction(s) among the terms. It should beappreciated that such terms can refer to human entities or automatedcomponents supported through artificial intelligence (e.g., a capacityto make inference based on complex mathematical formalisms), which canprovide simulated vision, sound recognition and so forth. In addition,terms “core network”, “core mobility network”, “service providernetwork” and the like are employed interchangeably throughout thesubject specification, unless context warrants particular distinction(s)among the terms.

The disclosure is generally directed to child monitor systems in whichsensor data is transmitted or sensor data is stored for latertransmission in a “store and forward” scheme so that captured sensordata can be monitored and analyzed, distributed, or for other uses. Insome cases, the sensor data is stored in response to a remote requestfor storage of the captured content made from a parent unit. Issuing aninstruction to store the content data remotely allows a caregiver toassess whether the content should be recorded without disturbing ordistracting the child. The devices and systems described hereingenerally support and provide such remote content capture and datastorage, as well as the subsequent distribution, viewing, sharing, andother uses. In these ways, the caregiver can monitor the candid anduninfluenced content reproduced from a real-time data stream or feed,and at any time initiate data storage of a selected portion of thecorresponding content data.

Some aspects of the disclosure are directed to overcoming challengesintroduced by the portable nature of the parent unit used to monitor thecontent. At the outset, a portable parent unit is more convenient thanstationary monitors associated with webcam-based or other remotelycontrolled video camera systems. The caregiver avoids beinginconveniently tied to the location of a computer or other terminal.However, the maintenance of the wireless communication link can becomplicated by the repositioning of the parent unit. Therefore, someaspects described below may adjust operational parameters ortransmission characteristics to accommodate the varying, wireless natureof the communication link, while still supporting the transmission ofthe content data to be stored. In these ways, the content is recorded ata quality level (e.g., resolution) appropriate for reproduction viadevices other than the small display of the parent unit.

Some aspects of the disclosure are directed to facilitating the captureof content that is fleeting or difficult to anticipate or predict. Forinstance, some aspects may utilize a buffer configured to store thecontent data in a continuous manner. A user request to store recentlydisplayed content then relies on the storage capacity of the buffer tostore data representative of past content, as further described below.

Some aspects of the disclosure are directed to addressing the challengesof supporting continuous, real-time, wireless broadcasts of the capturedcontent in connection with the monitoring function, while recordingon-demand high-quality images or other content for subsequent enjoyment.In past systems, the quality of the content as displayed on the parentunit can be inadequate or otherwise undesirable when not viewed inreal-time. Using the devices, systems and techniques disclosed herein,caregivers can use the real-time broadcast to assess the content, andthen select a portion thereof for storage at a high resolution orquality level.

Although described in connection with exemplary child monitor systemsinvolving the capture of audio or image data for a caregiver, thedisclosed techniques, devices and systems are well suited forimplementation and use in a variety of contexts and applications.Practice of the disclosed techniques, devices and systems is accordinglynot limited to a particular child monitoring context or application. Forinstance, although described in connection with portable parent units,several aspects of the disclosure are equally applicable to non-portableunits. The systems are also not limited to video monitors or monitorshaving cameras, and are instead well suited for any type of content orcontent sensor, including those systems that may be user-configurable orotherwise switch between content types or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a view of a child protectivehelmet 100, according to an aspect of the current innovation. Theprotective helmet 100 includes an outer shell 120 defined by a crownportion that is integrally formed with a brim 160. Head gear (not shown)that is configured to be adjustably positioned around a wearer's headmay be coupled to, and positioned underneath and/or within, the crownportion so that the wearer may comfortably and securely wear theprotective helmet 100. The protective helmet 100 may be any type ofprotective helmet, including a biking helmet, a helmet used in sportssuch as baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, bobsledding, a military,construction-worker, or fireman's helmet, or various other types ofhelmets used to protect the head of a wearer.

The protective helmet 100 may be formed from a standard polyethylene orpolycarbonate base with a phosphorescent material coating the base.Optionally, the protective helmet 100 may be formed from polyetherimide,polyamide, polypropylene, Acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene (ABS),polyurethane, polystyrene, or the like.

For example, the outer shell 120 may be formed through a polyethylene orpolycarbonate molding process. After the outer shell 120 is formed, alayer of phosphorescent material may be formed over the outer shell 120.Alternatively, the molding process for the outer shell 120 may includeforming the outer shell from a standard polymer material mixed with aphosphorescent material. Further, the outer shell 120 may be formed froma standard polymer material after which, phosphorescent strips, or thelike, are fastened to the outer surface of the outer shell 120. In otherwords, the entire outer shell 120 may include phosphorescent material,or, optionally, phosphorescent material may cover only portions of theouter shell 120. The phosphorescent material may be, or include, highperformance rare earth (lanthanide) doped strontium aluminate and/orstrontium silicate crystals. These crystals may first be compounded intoa high density polyolefin polymer such as (but not limited to) highdensity polyethylene or polycarbonate, to which one or more specialtylubricants are added

In one or more aspect, the helmet 100 also includes one or more sensors140 shown as being disposed inside the inner lining of the helmet 100.It will be understood that the sensors may be alternatively disposedalong the brim 160 or at the top of the crown point of the helmet 100.In another aspect, the sensors may be disposed externally on the helmet100. In one or more aspect, the sensors 140 may be disposed externallyon the outer surface of the helmet.

In one or more aspect, the sensor 140 is a pressure sensitive array ofsensors. A large-enough force triggers the helmet 100 to provide ameasurement of vector accelerations experienced by the combination ofthe helmet 100 and the head. The companion pressure-sensitive arraymeasures actual force applied to the head in various areas, which alongwith the acceleration and pressure time waveform represents the bestcurrent determination of whether injury may have occurred and how severethe injury might be.

In another aspect, the sensors 140 are comprised of a time of arrival(TOA) gauge sensors that produces a TOA signal in response to a positivepressure change above a predetermined threshold pressure. The positivepressure change TOA signals are sent to a receiver (not shown) to bestored, processed, and/or transmitted to a remote location. In apreferred aspect, four or more external sensors, each with apositive-pressure-change TOA gauge, are used and spaced from each otherand positioned externally on the helmet.

The sensor 140 measures the presence, velocity, directionality, andmagnitude (peak pressure) of the wearer's head. Typically, threeexternal sensors are required to determine a plane of motion of the head(i.e., directionality), and a fourth sensor to determine the velocityand magnitude of the peak pressure. In one aspect, thepositive-pressure-change gauges responds only to positive pressure abovea certain threshold pressure. In another aspect, the threshold pressuremay be chosen to neglect pressure changes due to weather or altitude.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is depicted an exemplary child monitorsystem indicated generally as 200. The subject 250 is depicted as achild with a bicycle. It will be understood that the subject 250 may bea child engaged in various other activities such as skiing,snowboarding, baseball, softball, football, hockey, or simply playing ina playground. Although the subject 250 is depicted with just a helmet100 with the pressure sensor (e.g., sensor 140) integrated therein, thesubject 250 may have various other biometric and biomechanical sensorspositioned on the subject's body.

For example, the sensors may be attached to the subject's clothing orshoes or may be woven or positioned with the subject's clothing orshoes. In one aspect, the sensors can be associated with joints andappendages of the body in order to track position and or movement ofsuch joints and appendages. The sensors can gather data relating tovarious physical characteristics, positions, changes, performance, orproperties of the subject. This data can be referred to as “biometric”data. Biometric data includes biomedical and biomechanical data, and caninclude any of the following: data tracing the trajectory, speed,acceleration, position, orientation, etc. of a subject's appendage orother body part; data showing the heart rate, blood pressure,temperature, stress level, moisture content, toxin level, viability,respiration rate, etc. of a subject; data showing whether or not asubject is performing a signal or communication movement (e.g., teethclosed, arm cocked, etc.); data showing the posture or other status of asubject (e.g., prone or erect, breathing or not, moving or not); datashowing the emotional state of a subject; etc.

For example, the sensors can track movement of the subject and/ortension in the subject's muscles. In some embodiments, the sensors caninclude one or more of the following technologies: accelerometertechnology that detects accelerations; gyroscope technology that detectschanges in orientation; compass or magnetic technology that sensesposition and/or alignment with relation to magnetic fields;satellite-based, global positioning satellite (GPS)-style technology;radio-frequency technology; etc. In this regard, any location module canbe employed. In some aspects, sensors can be embedded in the skin of auser. The sensors can gather data relating to the subject's form,balance, gait, speed, position, and/or stride. The sensors can then senddata to a transceiver (not shown).

The transceiver may have a clip for attaching to a belt, for example.The clip can rotate in order to allow the transceiver to be oriented invarious ways, according to the needs or the whim of the child. Thetransceiver may be connected to the various sensors by wires or leads(not shown). In a preferred aspect, the transceiver can gather data fromthe various sensors by a wireless connection. In some aspects, the datais transmitted wirelessly (using radio frequency transmissions, forexample). Various communications protocols can be used, including, forexample, Bluetooth, ZigBee, TCP/IP, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11e,etc.).

The transceiver forwards the data wirelessly to a mobile device 220. Insome aspects, the transceiver can transmit data wirelessly via theinternet. In another aspect, the transceiver can store data on itsonboard memory (or a memory card) for later transfer to the mobiledevice. In a preferred aspect, the transceiver is a mobile device, acell phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), pocket PC,tablet PC, MP3 player, or other portable communications and/or computingdevice. The mobile device may be a disposable cell phone or a prepaidcell phone. In some aspects, the transceiver can send signals to and/orreceive signals from a portable communications device such as thosementioned here, for example.

The data is gathered at the mobile device 220. In one aspect,appropriate software on the mobile device 220 analyzes the data and mayprovide a graphical evaluation of the pressure data derived from sensorsassociated with the child or subject 250. The graphical evaluation mayinclude, but is not limited to, the pressure data being shown withgraphs, numbers, graphical depictions, charts, histograms, etc. Theperformance evaluation can include statistical analyses that, forexample, determine the subject's average pressure data and the subject'sdeviations from this average. For example, statistical techniques can beused to compare the subject's pressure change data with other suitablesubjects as defined by demographics, geography, performance level, etc.

In one aspect, a threshold may be customizable by the parent or guardianof the subject 250 so that only pressure change events which exceed apredefined threshold is recorded or stored at the mobile device 220. Anypressure change events which exceed the predefined threshold can betransmitted from the mobile device 220 through the wireless network 240to a second mobile device 260. This data transmission may occur throughthe wireless network 240 or some other suitable network. It will beunderstood that, in some aspects, the second mobile device 260 may be acell phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), pocket PC,tablet PC, MP3 player, or other portable communications and/or computingdevice and may supplement, or in some cases, be used in lieu of themobile device 260 described herein.

For example, a cell phone, PDA, etc. can upload data to the World WideWeb, and that data (in raw or processed form) can also be accessed fromthe cell phone, PDA, etc. In some aspects, a user's data can be sent toa “learning center” or suitable web server via the World Wide Web, andthen that same user can thereafter access charts, histograms, etc. thatare visible on that user's cell phone, PDA, etc. that provide insight tothe user relating to the data and/or the user's performance.

The mobile device 220 transmits data to a first processor. The data canbe transmitted in electronic or electromagnetic form, for example. Insome aspects, the data is transmitted wirelessly (using radio frequencytransmissions, for example). Various communications protocols can beused, including, for example, Bluetooth, ZigBee, TCP/IP, 802.11b,802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11e, etc.). In some aspects, the transceivertransmits the data over the internet or over a wired or wirelessnetwork.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a sensor arrangement 300 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the subject innovation.Sensor 320 can be woven into the inner lining of a helmet. In anotheraspect, the sensor 320 can be incorporated into the outer shell definedby a crown portion that is integrally formed with a brim. Head gear (notshown) that is configured to be adjustably positioned around a wearer'shead may be coupled to, and positioned underneath and/or within, thecrown portion so that the wearer may comfortably and securely wear theprotective helmet. The protective helmet may be any type of protectivehelmet, including a biking helmet, a helmet used in sports such asbaseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, bobsledding, a fireman's helmet,or various other types of helmets used to protect the head of a wearer.

The protective helmet may be formed from a standard polyethylene orpolycarbonate base with a phosphorescent material coating the base.Optionally, the protective helmet may be formed from polyetherimide,polyamide, polypropylene, Acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene (ABS),polyurethane, polystyrene, and the like.

For example, the outer shell may be formed through a polyethylene orpolycarbonate molding process. After the outer shell is formed, a layerof phosphorescent material may be formed over the outer shell.Alternatively, the molding process for the outer shell may includeforming the outer shell from a standard polymer material mixed with aphosphorescent material. Further, the outer shell may be formed from astandard polymer material after which, phosphorescent strips, or thelike, are fastened to the outer surface of the outer shell. In otherwords, the entire outer shell may include phosphorescent material, or,optionally, phosphorescent material may cover only portions of the outershell. The phosphorescent material may be, or include, high performancerare earth (lanthanide) doped strontium aluminate and/or strontiumsilicate crystals. These crystals may first be compounded into a highdensity polyolefin polymer such as (but not limited to) high densitypolyethylene or polycarbonate, to which one or more specialty lubricantsare added

In one aspect, the helmet also includes one or more sensors shown asbeing disposed inside the inner lining of the helmet. It will beunderstood that the sensors may be alternatively disposed along the brimor at the top of the crown point of the helmet. In another aspect, thesensors may be disposed externally on the helmet. In one aspect, thesensors may be disposed externally on the outer surface of the helmet.

In one aspect, the sensor is a pressure sensitive array of sensors. Thepressure sensitive array is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)3-axis accelerometer and pressure sensor array along with a ZigBee radioand battery. A large enough force triggers the helmet to provide ameasurement of vector accelerations experienced by the combination ofthe helmet and the head. The companion pressure-sensitive array measuresactual force applied to the head in various areas, which along with theacceleration and pressure time waveform represents the best currentdetermination of whether injury may have occurred and how severe theinjury might be.

In another aspect, the sensors are comprised of a time of arrival (TOA)gauge sensors that produces a TOA signal in response to a positivepressure change above a predetermined threshold pressure. The positivepressure change TOA signals are sent to a receiver (not shown) to bestored, processed, and/or transmitted to a remote location. In apreferred aspect, four or more external sensors, each with apositive-pressure-change TOA gauge, are used and spaced from each otherand positioned externally on the helmet.

The sensor measures the presence, velocity, directionality, andmagnitude (peak pressure) of the wearer's head. Typically, threeexternal sensors are required to determine a plane of motion of the head(i.e., directionality), and a fourth sensor to determine the velocityand magnitude of the peak pressure. In one aspect, thepositive-pressure-change gauges responds only to positive pressure abovea certain threshold pressure. In another aspect, the threshold pressuremay be chosen to neglect pressure changes due to weather or altitude.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a schematic diagram of a mobiledevice 400 which is particularly suited for combining the transceiverand first processor functions. The mobile device 400 includes a ZigBeecommunication module 430 for executing a ZigBee communication accordingto IEEE 802.15.4 standards, a global positioning system (GPS) module 440obtaining the position data of the mobile device, and a mobilecommunication module 420 for communicating on the wireless network. In apreferred aspect, the ZigBee communication protocol is particularlysuited for use with low-power sensors.

ZigBee wireless network communication protocol suite is based on theIEEE 802.15.4 standard and typically operates at the globally available2.4 GHz bandwidth and provide a data rate of 250 Kbits/second. ZigBee isa low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh networking standard which affords anumber of advantages. The low cost allows the technology to be widelydeployed in wireless control and monitoring applications. Further, thelow power-usage allows longer life with smaller batteries. Additionally,the mesh networking provides high reliability and more extensive range.

The ZigBee communication module interacts with the GPS module. The GPSmodule generates GPS reference signals, and a GPS module embedded ineach mobile device for receiving and processing these GPS referencesignals.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the second mobile device 260 runs SystemDevice Software in accordance with aspects of the invention. In oneaspect, the mobile device 220 also runs System Device Software inaccordance with aspects of the invention so that the subject 250 canmonitor the sensor data. In another aspect, the second mobile device 260controls the user interface of the mobile device 220 to allow a parentor caregiver to interact with the sensor data. The second mobile device260 or the mobile device 220 uses device drivers and display drivers tocommunicate with the display screen.

In a preferred aspect, a shell program executes at the highest level ofthe processor. The shell program may be implemented using, for example,native code, JAVA, JAVASCRIPT, ActiveX controls, HTML, and/or dynamiclink libraries (DLLs). The shell program is the controlling applicationand provides the user interface (UI) on the mobile device 220 or thesecond mobile device 260 for telephone functionalities, electronic mail,text messaging, storing user preferences, and the like.

In a preferred aspect, the shell program contains a set of foundationlayer APIs that can be called by programs downloaded via the datanetwork. In one aspect, the functions in the APIs are accessed byJAVASCRIPT code downloaded to the client via HTTP. All functionsavailable through the APIs are subject to access control and a programmaking use of the APIs must be authorized to access the functions.

Some examples of the sets of exemplary sets of APIs are described below.As described therein, the APIs allow a mobile device to run “applets” or“widgets” for various functionalities. These applets allow the mobiledevice to have extended functionalities so that the mobile device may beused for entertainment, navigation, personal information management, webbrowsing, news reading, camera functions, and the like. Various userinterface elements may also be manipulated by the APIs so that retrievedinformation may be displayed to the user in various ways.

Additional APIs may allow accessing the sensor data so that JAVASCRIPTprograms may display the data to the subject patient in informationalways. The APIs allow certain programs to graphically display the sensordata in a graph on a time axis so that the user can determine the timevarying characteristics of certain sensor data. For instance, in oneaspect, a parent or caregiver may chart the acceleration forces on achild's (or another subject's) head over varying time axis. The sensordata may also be correlated to different aspects of the child'sactivities.

As a further example, the acceleration forces on a child's head may becorrelated and grouped according to the various activities that thechild may be engaged in. It is contemplated, for instance, that theacceleration forces on a child's head during the child's socceractivities may be compared to the acceleration forces on a child's headduring the child's bicycle riding activities, and so forth. In anotheraspect, the APIs additionally allow certain programs or applets tooverlay a particular axis of movement along the helmet sensor so thatcorrelations and differentiations between disparate activities may bereadily discerned.

Additional APIs allow for controlling the interrupt of the mobile device220 or the second mobile device 260 so that if the acceleration forceson a child's head reaches a predetermined threshold, the parent orcaregiver is immediately notified, irrespective of settings or currentactivities of the respective mobile devices 220 or 260. The immediatenotification may be in the form of a chime, vibrating, constant buzzing,or graphical notification. It will be understood that numerous otherAPIs can easily be added to the shell to provide functionality desiredby the service provider, the user, or the child. Additional APIs allowfor a graphical user interface (GUI) so that an icon or graphic symbolcan indicate the general well-being of the child. For instance, a smileicon may indicate the child's overall well-being or the number of dayssince the last head acceleration event.

The second mobile device 260 of the parent or caregiver may be selectedto communicate with the communications network by way of Wi-Fi signalson wireless communications path. The data may be converted to the TCP/IPprotocol and respectively transmitted from the mobile device through thedata network for storage and later transmission. In another aspect,expediency is important in communicating with emergency services andrescue personnel.

The wireless communications path provides a gateway allowingcommunication between the cellular data network and the Internet so thatthe same TCP/IP communications among the mobile devices and the systemserver may occur. In some aspects, restricted communications are used toensure the system is limited to certain participants. In other aspects,encrypted communications are used to ensure the security of transmitteddata. In still other embodiments, standard device and communicationssecurity principles are applied to produce a secure system.

A further resource that may be availed of by the System Device Softwareresiding on the mobile device is the geographic location system such asthe Global Positioning System (GPS). Signals generated by GPS satellitesare transmitted along wireless communications paths leading respectivelyto the mobile devices. From such signals, the System Device Softwareresiding on the mobile devices are used to determine the geographiclocation of the user's mobile device as desired. Some mobile cellularphones provide other geographic location systems, such as atriangulation-of-position system that determines locations relative tocellular radio towers at known fixed locations, or systems thatrecognize the presence of unique short-range radio signals known toexist only in a given geographical location.

Referring to FIGS. 5-8, there are shown graphical representations of theuser interface displayed by System Device Software to a user in theprocess of inputting preferences. FIG. 5, for example depicts anexemplary aspect of the user interface 510 on a mobile device 500 whichdisplays a geographical map showing the incidence of a shock alert. Inone aspect, when a child or user experiences an acceleration force tothe head and the acceleration force exceeds a predetermined thresholdthe caregiver's mobile device is immediately notified of the incident.As shown, the incident is displayed on a graphical map showing the exactlocation and time of the incident. In one aspect, the incident is shownon the mobile device until the applet is manually dismissed or closed bythe user. This ensures that the incident is a constant reminder to theparent or caregiver of an incident that needs to be resolved.

Depending on the user threshold level set for incident notification, anacceleration force incident may be configured by the user to interruptthe user at various levels of notification. For instance, the graphicalrepresentation of the incident may be accompanied by some combination ofa vibration, buzzing, ringing, or chime from the mobile device, or somecombination thereof. Of course, if the user has set a low threshold foracceleration force notification, the user may have the option to set alow interrupt notification level so that the user is not interruptedoften. In another aspect, the user may have the option of setting ahybrid level of interruption so that relatively minor incidents ofacceleration forces are merely logged, while major incidents ofacceleration forces are accompanied by an associated level ofinterruption of the user.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary aspect of the user interface 610 on a mobiledevice 600 which displays an option to notify emergence servicesimmediately from within the applet. The user is given the option tonotify emergency services immediately, and if the user chooses theoption to contact emergency services, the mobile device routes the callimmediately. In another aspect, the E911 GPS coordinates for theincident are modified by the applet so that the location of theemergency call is relayed to emergency services as the location of theacceleration forces incident. FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary aspect of theuser interface 710 on a mobile device 700 which displays, in tabularformat, a list of children to monitor. The user is given the choice tomonitor any of the children from within the applet or to monitor anyother party or subject for which the user is authorized to monitor. FIG.8 depicts an exemplary aspect of the user interface 810 on a mobiledevice 800 which displays an incident log. The user interface displays alog or archive of various acceleration forces incidents for each child.

Various other analyses and monitoring of the child's activities arecontemplated. For example, the master agent may be able to comparativelylog and analyze acceleration forces data against other children engagingin the same or similar type of activity. Custom Menu Interfaces allow aparent or caregiver to respond through the child's mobile device so thatthe parent may respond through video conferencing with the child. Themenu may include interactive queries or solicit information regardingthe child's daily goals, subjective opinions or overall impression ofthe activity and ones performance which could be incorporated in theMotivation Index described below.

Various other Report Generation Tools and Templates are alsocontemplated. XML, HTML or other authoring language used to createdocuments on the Web that would provide an interactive browser-baseduser interface to access additional performance data analysis and reportgeneration tools and templates that may not be available or offered withthe standard product.

A Custom Performance Algorithm can include a performance analysis whichis specifically tailored to the child and the particular sport oractivity. Certain application-specific performance analysis may requiredynamically linked algorithms that process and calculate non-standard orspecialized information, values, units, physical measurements,statistical results, predictive behaviors, filtering, numerical analysisincluding differentiation and integration, convolution and correlation,linear algebraic matrices operations to compute data pose and scalingtransformation, and proprietary types. One example of a proprietary typeis Motivation Index, a composite numerical value derived from a weightedaverage of statistical performance indicators and subjective user inputincluding relative scoring improvements, conformity to ROM pattern,lengthy activity access duration, high access rate, relative skill levelimprovement, daily goal achievement, etc., that could represent theoverall level of enthusiasm and satisfaction, the user has for aparticular activity.

As a further example, a Range of Motion (RoM) Pattern Generator provideskey control points to be captured along the desired trajectory andstored in order that the algorithm can calculate an optimally smoothpath, in real-time, during the comparative analysis phase. A furtherexample is a RoM Pattern Capture & Replay so that the athlete can replaythe performance. The RoM pattern can be can saved to memory in real-timeby discrete position samples versus time depending upon the resolutiondesired and memory limitations and later played back on the transponderor remote display for analysis.

It is contemplated that other Activity Specific Attributes, includingReps/Sets, Duration, Pause, Heart Rate Limits, intra-activity delay,level, point scalars, energy expenditure, task-oriented triggers, etc.,and other parametric data that controls intensity, execution rate andscoring criteria for the activity may also be measured and analyzed.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example method 900 for initializing thesensor arrangement at the commencement of a sports or athletic activity.At 910, the sensor is associated with the subject, in most cases achild. In one aspect, the step can include the authenticating of varioussensors (mating of a sensor with a transceiver) so that sensors transmitdata to the appropriate transceiver. In one aspect, for a transceiverutilizing the ZigBee communication protocol, the sensors must be matedto the ZigBee controller. At 920, the transceiver is authenticated witha particular subject. In one aspect, the association with a particularuser includes mediating user rights at a login session, authenticateuser name and password, and to manage session tokens. At 930, thesensors are calibrated for proper performance. At 940, the subject maybegin any sports or exercise activity.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart example of a method 1000 for transceiver datatransmission. At 1010, the transceiver receives sensor measurements. At1020, the sensor measurements are compared to a threshold level forincident reporting. The threshold may be user configurable so that onlyincidents above a certain number of Gs of acceleration are transmitted.At 1030, the transceiver prepares the sensor measurements fortransmission. The transceiver can collect and store data (e.g., analogand/or digital data) from the sensors. In one aspect, the data isconverted from analog to digital in the sensors or the transceiver tofacilitate storage and/or transmittance. In another aspect, the data issequenced, coded, and or separated to make the reception, storage,and/or transmission more efficient. At 1040, the further processedsensor data is transmitted.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart example of a method 1100 for receiving andanalyzing sensor data at the database engine. At 1110, the databaseengine receives biometric sensor data. At 1120, the preprocessorreceives the sensor data so that various noises are removed from thedata resulting in a data with a higher signal to noise ratio. In oneaspect, the preprocessor extracts identifiable features from the data sothat windowing, sub-band transformation, mean extraction, andre-sampling may be prioritized in the extraction of data from thesignal.

At 1130, the real-time filter extracts or filters out data that may benecessary for archival or historical purposes from the necessary datafor real-time analysis. In one aspect, the filter produces a result,typically based on the entire record, based on access records which aretypically not applied in a child's sports or exercise activity. Thereal-time filter applies access rules so that unauthorized data is notaccessible to inappropriate personnel. In another aspect, the filterapplies rule validation and administration for firewalls. Filter ruleson a firewall between a secure computer network and a nonsecure computernetwork are validated from a user interface.

A user interface is presented in which a test packet can be defined. Theuser interface includes controls for defining values for attributes ofthe test packet, wherein the attributes of the test packet are selectedfrom a set of attributes of normal packets normally sent between thesecure and nonsecure computer networks. A defined test packet isvalidated against a set of filter rules in the firewall or matchedagainst the filter rules to determine those filter rules with matchingattributes to the defined packet. When validating, responsive to thefailure of the test packet in the validating step, the filter rule inthe set of filter rules that denied the test packet is displayed. Theresults must then be filtered based on the defined rules.

At 1140, the compression module compresses sensor data for long-termstorage. The compression module, in one aspect, applies an efficientdata compression/decompression scheme using a passive data storage mediafor storage of athletic performance information. The system operates oncentral processing hardware so that efficient storage and retrieval ofinformation may be provided.

At 1150, the master agent provides feedback to the athlete and acts as a“virtual” trainer or coach. In the absence of a human coach or trainer(or as a supplement thereto), the master agent analyzes the datainstantaneously and provides statistical analysis and real-time feedbackto the athlete. For example, the master agent collects data frommultiple subjects or multiple users and processes that data to findpatterns or establish norms. In some aspects, the master agent caninclude rules based analysis so that an individual training program isanalyzed and compared to an exercise program to a previously storedreference workout or other benchmark.

As a further example, the master agent can monitor an athlete workout inreal time by monitoring sensor data captured and wirelessly transmittedto the trainer display system. As used herein, the term “real time” isused broadly to mean that the data is not available hours later, but isinstead available within less than one hour. In a preferred aspect, themonitoring and some analysis can be done substantially instantaneously.Advantageously, high-speed data transfer can allow monitoring to occurwithin a short time (e.g., less than 5 minutes) of the body movement. Insome aspects, monitoring can occur within less than one minute of thebody movement.

In one aspect, all data is stored so that analysis of that data can becompared to other athletes and enhance the training programs. In orderto provide further context for various aspects of the disclosed subjectmatter, FIG. 12 illustrates a non-limiting example system 1200 that canimplement some or all of the aspects described herein. As FIG. 12illustrates, system 1200 can include a wireless terminal 1205. In anembodiment, wireless terminal 1205 can receive and transmit signal(s) toand/or from wireless devices such as femto access points, accessterminals, wireless ports and routers, or the like, through a set of Nantennas 1220. In one example, antennas 1220 can be implemented as partof a communication platform 1215, which in turn can comprise electroniccomponents and associated circuitry and/or other means that provide forprocessing and manipulation of received signal(s) and signal(s) to betransmitted.

In an aspect, communication platform 1215 can include areceiver/transmitter or transceiver 1216, which can transmit and receivesignals and/or perform one or more processing operations on such signals(e.g., conversion from analog to digital upon reception, conversion fromdigital to analog upon transmission, etc.). In addition, transceiver1216 can divide a single data stream into multiple, parallel datastreams, or perform the reciprocal operation.

In another example, a multiplexer/demultiplexer (mux/demux) unit 1217can be coupled to transceiver 1216. Mux/demux unit 1217 can, forexample, facilitate manipulation of signal in time and frequency space.Additionally or alternatively, mux/demux unit 1217 can multiplexinformation (e.g., data/traffic, control/signaling, etc.) according tovarious multiplexing schemes such as time division multiplexing (TDM),frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing (OFDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), space divisionmultiplexing (SDM), or the like. In addition, mux/demux unit 1217 canscramble and spread information according to substantially any codegenerally known in the art, such as Hadamard-Walsh codes, Baker codes,Kasami codes, polyphase codes, and so on.

In a further example, a modulator/demodulator (mod/demod) unit 1218implemented within communication platform 1215 can modulate informationaccording to multiple modulation techniques, such as frequencymodulation, amplitude modulation (e.g., N-ary quadrature amplitudemodulation (N-QAM), etc.), phase-shift keying (PSK), and the like.Further, communication platform 1215 can also include a coder/decoder(codec) module 1219 that facilitates decoding received signal(s) and/orcoding signal(s) to convey.

According to another aspect, wireless terminal 1205 can include aprocessor 1235 configured to confer functionality, at least in part, tosubstantially any electronic component utilized by wireless terminal1205. As further shown in system 1200, a power supply 1225 can attach toa power grid and include one or more transformers to achieve a powerlevel at which various components and/or circuitry associated withwireless terminal 1205 can operate. In one example, power supply 1225can include a rechargeable power mechanism to facilitate continuedoperation of wireless terminal 1205 in the event that wireless terminal1205 is disconnected from the power grid, the power grid is notoperating, etc.

In a further aspect, processor 1235 can be functionally connected tocommunication platform 1215 and can facilitate various operations ondata (e.g., symbols, bits, chips, etc.), which can include, but are notlimited to, effecting direct and inverse fast Fourier transforms,selection of modulation rates, selection of data packet formats,inter-packet times, etc. In another example, processor 1235 can befunctionally connected, via a data or system bus, to any othercomponents or circuitry not shown in system 1200 to at least partiallyconfer functionality to each of such components.

As additionally illustrated in system 1200, a memory 1245 can be used bywireless terminal 1205 to store data structures, code instructions andprogram modules, system or device information, code sequences forscrambling, spreading and pilot transmission, location intelligencestorage, determined delay offset(s), over-the-air propagation models,and so on. Processor 1235 can be coupled to the memory 1245 in order tostore and retrieve information necessary to operate and/or conferfunctionality to communication platform 1215 and/or any other componentsof wireless terminal 1205.

Turning to FIG. 13, a non-limiting example computing system or operatingenvironment in which various aspects of the disclosed subject matter maybe implemented is illustrated. One of ordinary skill in the art canappreciate that handheld, portable and other computing devices andcomputing objects of all kinds are contemplated for use in connectionwith the disclosed subject matter, e.g., anywhere that a communicationssystem may be desirably configured. Accordingly, the below generalpurpose remote computer described below in FIG. 13 is but one example ofa computing system in which the disclosed subject matter may beimplemented.

Although not required, various aspects of the disclosed subject mattercan partly be implemented via an operating system, for use by adeveloper of services for a device or object, and/or included withinapplication software that operates in connection with the component(s)of the disclosed subject matter. Software may be described in thegeneral context of computer-executable instructions, such as programmodules, being executed by one or more computers, such as clientworkstations, servers or other devices. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that various aspects of the disclosed subject matter may bepracticed with other computer system configurations and protocols.

FIG. 13 thus illustrates an example of a suitable computing systemenvironment 1300 in which various aspects of the disclosed subjectmatter may be implemented, although as made clear above, the computingsystem environment 1300 is only one example of a suitable computingenvironment for a media device and is not intended to suggest anylimitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the disclosedsubject matter. Neither should the computing environment 1300 beinterpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any oneor combination of components illustrated in the example operatingenvironment 1300.

With reference to FIG. 13, an example of a computing environment 1300for implementing various aspects of the disclosed subject matterincludes a general purpose computing device in the form of a computer1310. Components of computer 1310 can include, but are not limited to, aprocessing unit 1320, a system memory 1330, and a system bus 1321 thatcouples various system components including the system memory to theprocessing unit 1320. The system bus 1321 can be any of several types ofbus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

Computer 1310 can include a variety of media, which can includecomputer-readable storage media and/or communications media, which twoterms are used herein differently from one another as follows.Computer-readable storage media can be any available storage media thatcan be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable storage media can be implementedin connection with any method or technology for storage of informationsuch as computer-readable instructions, program modules, structureddata, or unstructured data. Computer-readable storage media can include,but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM(EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or other tangible and/or non-transitory media which can be used to storedesired information. Computer-readable storage media can be accessed byone or more local or remote computing devices, e.g., via accessrequests, queries or other data retrieval protocols, for a variety ofoperations with respect to the information stored by the medium.

Communications media typically embody computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other structured or unstructureddata in a data signal such as a modulated data signal, e.g., a carrierwave or other transport mechanism, and include any information deliveryor transport media. The term “modulated data signal” or signals refersto a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changedin such a manner as to encode information in one or more signals. By wayof example, and not limitation, communication media include wired media,such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless mediasuch as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.

The system memory 1330 can include computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and/orrandom access memory (RAM). A basic input/output system (BIOS),containing the basic routines that help to transfer information betweenelements within computer 1310, such as during start-up, can be stored inmemory 1330. Memory 1330 typically also contains data and/or programmodules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently beingoperated on by processing unit 1320. By way of example, and notlimitation, memory 1330 can also include an operating system,application programs, other program modules, and program data.

The computer 1310 can also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. For example, computer 1310could include a hard disk drive that reads from or writes tonon-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive thatreads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk, and/oran optical disk drive that reads from or writes to a removable,nonvolatile optical disk, such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. Otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage mediathat can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but arenot limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digitalversatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROMand the like. A hard disk drive is typically connected to the system bus1321 through a non-removable memory interface such as an interface, anda magnetic disk drive or optical disk drive is typically connected tothe system bus 1321 by a removable memory interface, such as aninterface.

A user can enter commands and information into the computer 1310 throughinput devices such as a keyboard and pointing device, commonly referredto as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices can include amicrophone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like.These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit1320 through user input 1340 and associated interface(s) that arecoupled to the system bus 1321, but can be connected by other interfaceand bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universalserial bus (USB). A graphics subsystem can also be connected to thesystem bus 1321. A monitor or other type of display device is alsoconnected to the system bus 1321 via an interface, such as outputinterface 1350, which can in turn communicate with video memory. Inaddition to a monitor, computers can also include other peripheraloutput devices such as speakers and a printer, which can be connectedthrough output interface 1350.

The computer 1310 can operate in a networked or distributed environmentusing logical connections to one or more other remote computers, such asremote computer 1370, which can in turn have media capabilitiesdifferent from device 1310. The remote computer 1370 can be a personalcomputer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or othercommon network node, or any other remote media consumption ortransmission device, and can include any or all of the elementsdescribed above relative to the computer 1310. The logical connectionsdepicted in FIG. 13 include a network 1371, such local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), but can also include othernetworks/buses. Such networking environments are commonplace in homes,offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1310 isconnected to the LAN 1371 through a network interface or adapter. Whenused in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1310 typicallyincludes a communications component, such as a modem, or other means forestablishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. Acommunications component, such as a modem, which can be internal orexternal, can be connected to the system bus 1321 via the user inputinterface of input 1340, or other appropriate mechanism. In a networkedenvironment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 1310, orportions thereof, can be stored in a remote memory storage device. Itwill be appreciated that the network connections shown and described areexemplary and other means of establishing a communications link betweenthe computers can be used.

It is to be noted that aspects, features, and/or advantages of thedisclosed subject matter can be exploited in substantially any wirelesstelecommunication or radio technology, e.g., Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; WorldwideInteroperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); Enhanced General PacketRadio Service (Enhanced GPRS); Third Generation Partnership Project(3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE); Third Generation Partnership Project 2(3GPP2) Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB); 3GPP Universal MobileTelecommunication System (UMTS); High Speed Packet Access (HSPA); HighSpeed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA); High Speed Uplink Packet Access(HSUPA); GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) EDGE (EnhancedData Rates for GSM Evolution) Radio Access Network (GERAN); UMTSTerrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN); LTE Advanced (LTE-A); etc.Additionally, some or all of the aspects described herein can beexploited in legacy telecommunication technologies, e.g., GSM. Inaddition, mobile as well non-mobile networks (e.g., the Internet, dataservice network such as internet protocol television (IPTV), etc.) canexploit aspects or features described herein.

Various aspects or features described herein can be implemented as amethod, apparatus, system, or article of manufacture using standardprogramming or engineering techniques. In addition, various aspects orfeatures disclosed in the subject specification can also be realizedthrough program modules that implement at least one or more of themethods disclosed herein, the program modules being stored in a memoryand executed by at least a processor. Other combinations of hardware andsoftware or hardware and firmware can enable or implement aspectsdescribed herein, including disclosed method(s).

Computing devices typically include a variety of media, which caninclude computer-readable storage media or communications media, whichtwo terms are used herein differently from one another as follows.Computer-readable storage media can be any available storage media thatcan be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable storage media can be implementedin connection with any method or technology for storage of informationsuch as computer-readable instructions, program modules, structureddata, or unstructured data. Computer-readable storage media can include,but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical diskstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or other tangible and/or non-transitorymedia which can be used to store desired information. Computer-readablestorage media can be accessed by one or more local or remote computingdevices, e.g., via access requests, queries or other data retrievalprotocols, for a variety of operations with respect to the informationstored by the medium.

Communications media typically embody computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other structured or unstructureddata in a data signal such as a modulated data signal, e.g., a carrierwave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information deliveryor transport media. The term “modulated data signal” or signals refersto a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changedin such a manner as to encode information in one or more signals. By wayof example, and not limitation, communication media include wired media,such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless mediasuch as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.

As it is employed in the subject specification, the term “processor” canrefer to substantially any computing processing unit or devicecomprising, but not limited to, single-core processors;single-processors with software multithread execution capability;multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multithreadexecution capability; multi-core processors with hardware multithreadtechnology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributedshared memory. Additionally, a processor can refer to an integratedcircuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digitalsignal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), aprogrammable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device(CPLD), a discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardwarecomponents, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functionsdescribed herein. Further, processors can exploit nano-scalearchitectures such as, but not limited to, molecular and quantum-dotbased transistors, switches and gates, in order to optimize space usageor enhance performance of user equipment. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing processing units.

In the subject specification, terms such as “store,” “storage,” “datastore,” data storage,” “database,” and substantially any otherinformation storage component relevant to operation and functionality ofa component are utilized to refer to “memory components,” entitiesembodied in a “memory,” or components comprising a memory. It is to beappreciated that memory and/or memory components described herein can beeither volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or can include bothvolatile and nonvolatile memory.

By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory caninclude read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electricallyprogrammable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flashmemory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM), whichacts as external cache memory. By way of illustration and notlimitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM(SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rateSDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), anddirect Rambus RAM (DRRAM). Additionally, the disclosed memory componentsof systems or methods herein are intended to comprise, without beinglimited to comprising, these and any other suitable types of memory.

What has been described above includes examples of systems and methodsthat provide advantages of the disclosed subject matter. It is, ofcourse, not possible to describe every conceivable combination ofcomponents or methodologies for purposes of describing the disclosedsubject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize thatmany further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matterare possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,”“has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in the detailed description,claims, appendices and drawings such terms are intended to be inclusivein a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” isinterpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a processor; and a memorythat stores executable instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising: receiving,from a wireless transceiver of a helmet corresponding to a head of aperson, first pressure data representing a first pressure that has beenapplied to the head during a first type of activity determined to beperformed by the person; and displaying the first pressure datarepresenting the first pressure that has been applied to the head duringthe first type of activity with second pressure data representing asecond pressure that has been applied to the head during a second typeof activity determined to be performed by the person that is differentfrom the first type of activity.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theoperations further comprise: determining whether head acceleration forcedata associated with movements of the head during the first type ofactivity satisfies a defined condition related to a head injury.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: in responseto determining that the head acceleration force data satisfies thedefined condition, sending the first pressure data directed to a device.4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:correlating head acceleration force data associated with movements ofthe head with the first type of activity and the second type ofactivity.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations furthercomprises: in response to the correlating, displaying respective axes ofmovement of respective uses associated with the first type of activityand the second type of activity.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein theoperations further comprise: determining an acceleration of the head;and determining a period of time since the acceleration.
 7. The systemof claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise: displaying a symbolcorresponding to the period of time.
 8. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising an array of sensors, wherein the receiving further comprises:obtaining the first pressure data via the wireless transceiver from thearray of sensors.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the array of sensorscomprises a microelectromechanical system accelerometer.
 10. The systemof claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises: receiving the firstpressure data from the wireless transceiver utilizing a wirelesscommunication protocol based on an Institute for Electronics Engineers802.15.4 physical radio specification.
 11. A method, comprising:receiving, by a system comprising a processor, pressure data from atransceiver coupled to a pressure sensitive sensor of a helmet, whereinthe pressure data represents a first pressure applied to a portion of ahead engaged in a first type of activity; and displaying the firstpressure data representing the first pressure applied to the portion ofthe head with second pressure data representing a second pressureapplied to the portion of the head engaged in a second type of activitythat is different from the first type of activity.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising: determining, by the system, whether anacceleration of the head satisfies a defined condition with respect toan anticipated injury of the head.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising: in response to determining that the acceleration satisfiesthe defined condition, sending, by the system, the first pressure datadirected to a device.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:comparing, by the system, head acceleration force data associated withmovements of the head with different activities comprising the firsttype of activity and the second type of activity.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising: in response to the comparing, displaying,by the system, axes of the movements of the head.
 16. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising: determining, by the system, a accelerationof the head; and determining, by the system, a period of time since theacceleration.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the receivingcomprises receiving the first pressure data via a ZigBee based wirelesscommunication protocol.
 18. A mobile device, comprising: a processor;and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed bythe processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:receiving pressure data from a wireless transceiver coupled to apressure sensor of a helmet, wherein the pressure data representsrespective pressures that have been determined to have been applied to ahead of a person; and displaying information presenting a first pressureof the respective pressures determined to have been applied to the headof the person during a first activity and a second pressure of therespective pressures determined to have been applied to the head of theperson during a second activity different from the first activity. 19.The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:determining an acceleration of the head; and in response to determiningthat the acceleration satisfies a defined condition with respect to afuture injury of the head determined to be likely to occur, sending amessage directed to a device.
 20. The mobile device of claim 18, whereinthe receiving comprises receiving the pressure data according to aZigBee based communication protocol.